Adult Romantic Suspense Author
10/1/20
Hi Mary, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself?
What were you like at school?
Introverted, financially challenged, yet curious about the rich attractive/popular girls and boys who drove nice cars to school. I was most comfortable with having one or two close friends. Almost always had a boyfriend. A high but not an over achiever at a college preparatory, English was my favorite subject. Two of my siblings attended the same high school at the same time. My brother a grade higher; my sister a classifixation lower. We resided in three separate households. I couldn’t wait to see them even if it were just in passing while changing classrooms, at lunch, or during recess. In tenth grade, I worked a part-time night job and slept most days during biology. Senior year I attended class until noon, then worked as a clerk for a Councilman at City Hall. Never participated in any extracurricular activities, though I really wanted to be a flag-twirler and march in the Mardi Gras parades.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Generally, 1992. Seriously, 1999. After the demise of a seven-year relationship with (a pathological liar) my soulmate, I had to write a story about a couple on a rollercoaster ride that ended when he asked me to marry him. We had lots of great times. But, there were times when . . .
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
Film and television, not necessarily in that order. I’m currently working on a television series for Soulmates Dissipate. COVID-19 slowed our momentum a bit.
Which writers inspire you?
Terri McMillian and Toni Morrison. Terri’s self-publishing debut, Mama, made me believe I could successfully self-publish my first novel. Toni, despite her initial rejections, became a Nobel Laureate and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. To sit in on one of Toni’s classes at Princeton University was on my bucket list.
What have you written so far?
I’m a New York Times Bestselling Author with a total of 29 books published:
Careful What You Click For I Do Love You Still Head Games Baby, You’re the Best (3 book series) If I Can’t Have You (3 book series) Sweeter than Honey (3 book series) Soulmates Dissipate (8 book series) Maneater Eternal Engagement Single Husbands Married on Mondays Rich Girls Club Sexcapades Never Let a Man Come First (nonfiction) Dicks are Dumb (nonfiction) Justice Just Us Just Me (poetry) What are you working on at the moment? My Heart Will Love Again What’s it about? It’s fiction. An exploration of why Black Americans have a difficult time loving themselves and others dating back to 1619. While we (Blacks) are not filled with hatred like too many Whites, we still long to know how it feels to be acknowledged, accepted, appreciated, respected, and loved by White Americans.
What genre are your books?
Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
How much research do you do?
At least a third of my books (with the exception of poetry) is based on research. The other two-thirds are experiences and imagination.
Now, before we end this interview and start sharing some of your work here on my website, do you have any tips on what to do and what not to do while writing a novel?
Absolutely.
👍 Writers, write. Let it all out!
👎 Never censor the first draft of any book/novel. Save censorship for your rewrites.
Careful What You Click For (release date 5/26/20)
In her most riveting novel yet, New York Times bestselling author Mary B. Morrison delivers an emotional rollercoaster of a tale of four very different friends chasing after their heart’s desires, no matter the cost . . .
For Jordan, Victoria, Kingston, and Chancelor, exciting, fast-paced Atlanta offers everything their hometowns couldn’t. But career success is easy compared to the city’s dating scene of users, losers, and gold diggers. So they decide online dating might just be the answer—as long as they take precautions, work their perfect odds-beating plan, and have each other’s backs. With luck, and prayers, they’ll fulfill their fantasies and find real love at the same time . . .
An accomplished lawyer, Jordan must look hard at potential suitors. But Terrence seems to be the honest man of her dreams, until accusations and her career threaten to come between them. . . . Sixty-something real estate pro Victoria thinks young men equal satisfaction that a good Christian woman like her deserves, but anything-goes sex makes her bet more than she can afford to lose. . . . Basketball star Kingston has the perfect life and wife, but exploring what he really wants on the downlow is a game he may not win. . . . And for marketing guru Chancelor, the net is a paradise of prey, but the consequences could blow more than his schemes apart.
Soon enough, thanks to secret agendas, lies, and truths they can’t even admit to themselves, all four friends’ lives are in danger of being upended. And the results could rack up a price no one can pay.
If I Can't Have You Series
If I Can't Have You:
New York Times bestselling author Mary B. Morrison delivers a seductive, mesmerizing tale of "love" gone dangerously wrong. . .
No matter how direct Loretta is, Granville doesn't get it. He was fine when it came to burning up the sheets, but that's where their connection ends--or so she thinks. When he begins stalking her, Loretta's gorgeous girlfriend, Madison, claims she can tame any man...so Loretta dares Madison to prove she can tame Granville. But sexing Granville while she's engaged to the most eligible bachelor in Houston may cost Madison more than Loretta's bet is worth. . .
I'd Rather Be With You:
In this sizzling novel from New York Times bestselling author Mary B. Morrison, two friends make a provocative bet that forever changes their lives…
Nursing wealthy businessman Chicago DuBois back to health is the least Loretta Lovelace figures she can do. After all, it was her bet that made his wife, Madison, the target of a crazed stalker who put Chicago at death's door. With their marriage on the rocks, Loretta can't resist looking after Chicago--and reigniting his passion for life. Except now Madison wants to take back what's no longer hers--and she's not the only one. Little does Loretta know that spoiled, beautiful Madison has just the plan to handle her competition, her stalker, and her straying husband…
If You Don't Know Me:
New York Times bestselling author Mary B. Morrison delivers a scandalous story of two women, a sizzling wager, and the fallout that's turned lives upside down. . .
"I'm the woman Madison's husband truly loves. And I'll match her game for game to make him mine." Sindy Singleton isn't about to lose Chicago DuBois to Madison again. But getting him to open his heart once more won't be enough to satisfy her. Enlisting the help of Chicago's worst enemy is the fastest way she knows to expose Madison's most brazen deception yet. But Madison has more than one devastating card to play. . . "I don't care what mistakes I've made. I'll do whatever it takes to get my perfect marriage back." If there's one thing Madison has learned from her disastrous bet, it's how to turn catastrophe into opportunity. Playing on Chicago's fatherly instincts will maintain her access to the DuBois fortune--and keep her family's empire successful. And to get back on top, Madison's got the perfect scheme to finally take care of her ex-lover, her rivals, and the husband she'll never let go. . .
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9/25/20
Hi Christine, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself?
What were you like in school?
Very shy and quiet. I didn’t make friends easy and was often bullied. I was always at the top of my classes when it came to subjects like English and I did well with business courses.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I didn’t know. The aspiration of a writer was never in my mind. Not that I didn’t dabble in poetry when I was a teen, but the thought of wanting to write books, no, I never gave it a thought. When the vision of writing came into play, it was more for therapeutic purposes. Parts of my life I wrote out to cleanse my system from what I was holding on to. I was in my late forties when that happened.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
Honestly? To have the title of “best-selling author” even if only once. Also, it is important to me that my books, no matter how many, touch readers in a way that they will look forward to reading my projects and that it gives their souls a sense of joy and happiness. I want readers to look forward to reading my books. I’m not working towards being a full-time writer. I enjoy writing on my own time. I don’t want to be restricted or committed to any timeline but my own. I also enjoy being an accountant. I’d like to still do that part-time after I retire.
Which writers inspire you?
That’s a loaded question. Authors like, Margaret Johnson-Hodge, ReShonda Tate-Billingsley, Terry McMillan, Kimberla Lawson-Roby, Bernice McFadden, to name a few. I’m always intrigued by stories that focus on women, love, romance with real-life situation and some drama never hurts.
What have you written so far?
My debut, To Begin Again, was published in 2012. It is what I call, young adult/Christian fiction. It is based on my life from a teen to a young adult. Focusing on my character’s relationship with her religious aunt, teen pregnancy and an assault later in her life. My other books are Belinda’s Song, One Good Thing, Love for Granted and Never Too Late.
What are you working on at the moment?
Currently, my next project is The Love You Save. It’s on pre-order, slated to release July 14, 2021.
What is it about?
My main character, Miranda Norwood, is divorced. He ex-husband’s infidelity has scarred her, and she has guarded her heart for five years. When she meets Roy Grander, sparks fly, and her walls come down just enough to peer over the top. But Roy has some issues of his own from a past that’s keeping him stuck. The question is, “Can two people, dealing with issues that are keeping them from moving forward, find a love to that will save them?”
What genre are your books?
My first two books are Young Adult. The others are Women’s Fiction, the genre I want to write.
How much research do you do?
My stories are simplistic in nature and haven’t required a ton of research. I write a lot of what I know which is how it comes to me. Research for clarification of places and things I’m not familiar with is when I do it, but I haven’t written a story where in depth research is required. Not yet anyway.
Now, before we end this interview and start sharing some of your work here on my website, do you have any tips on what to do and what not to do while writing a novel?
Tips on dos and don’t’s:
👍 Be authentically yourself. Write your story your way, but also make sure you get the professionals to edit, proof and beta read to help you bring it to life.
👍 Have a cover that stands out and is of the highest quality. Writing it the easy part. What happens after that, if you take the appropriate steps, is the hardest, but most gratifying in the end.
👎 Don’t cut corners with the process.
Never Too Late (release date 7/31/20)
Please enjoy this excerpt from my newest release "Never Too Late ".
“How did the date go with Lieutenant?” Andre kissed his mother on the cheek, then dragged himself straight to the coffee maker. He pulled the large Army mug from the cabinet and poured the hot fluid, topping it off with his favorite caramel macchiato creamer. Taking a sip, he closed his eyes and savored the sweet taste.
“Good morning to you too,” Raelene smirked. “That’s the first thing you’re going to ask me about?”
“Come on, Mom. Give me the 4-1-1.” Andre yawned, taking a seat at the breakfast bar.
“It was nice,” Raelene said with a smile. She glanced over her shoulder, then turned back to the stove and removed slices of turkey bacon from the pan.
“Are you serious, Mom?” Andre’s brows furrowed over his intense eyes. “It was nice is all you’re going to say?”
“Yes, it was nice. What? You want details?” she teased.
“It’d be good to have a little more information. I got up early just so I could find out,” Andre quipped, stretching his six-foot frame.
“You’re only up because you smell food, so let’s keep it real. But for your information, we went rock climbing. Then, we had dinner.” She faced him, one hand on her hip and lips pursed. “What else do you want to know?”
With his elbow on the counter, Andre supported his cheek on one fist. “Sorry, Mom, but you’re making this difficult. Did you enjoy yourself? Are you going out again?” Andre quizzed.
“I don’t know, Andre, maybe.” She tipped her head to one side as she met his gaze.
“Why are you giving me the third-degree?”
Andre put down his mug and raised both hands in surrender. “I thought you’d be a little more excited. And what’s this about rock climbing?” He frowned.
Raelene ignored her son’s interrogation and continued to prepare breakfast.
“Mom,” Andre whined, stretching his body across the counter.
“Yes, son.” Raelene laughed, enjoying her son’s theatrics.
“Mom.” Andre lifted his head, wearing a concerned expression. “Did something happen between you and Lieutenant?” Do I need to have words with him? Respectfully, that is, unless he disrespected you, then I’d have to lay hands on him.”
Raelene’s face softened. “No, son. He didn’t disrespect me and no words or laying on of hands will be necessary. We had a good time. Rock climbing was Greg’s idea. We’re both in rather good physical condition for being a part of Club Fifty, you know.”
“You know I didn’t mean it like that.” Andre sighed. “Come on, Mom, you’re being vague. Will you be seeing him again?”
“Here, eat your breakfast, Andre, please.” Raelene ignored the question and handed him a plate full of turkey bacon, eggs, potatoes, and toast.
He inhaled the aroma and smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome.” Raelene knew how to shut him up.
***
Both mother and son were engrossed in their own thoughts. Before long, Andre stopped eating and peered into his mother’s eyes.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Awww snap! Y’all did the nasty?” He fell to the floor, sprawled out, laughing hysterically.
“What?!” Raelene yelled, laughing so hard she spewed orange juice across the table. “Boy, get up from there, and stop clowning around.”
“I’m just kidding, Mom,” he said, getting up from the floor and taking his seat. “I mean even if you did, it’s none of my business, right? Hope you kids used protection.” He coaxed in an inquisitive tone, while giving her a side-eyed stare.
Raelene playfully shoved his shoulder. “If you don’t leave me alone.” She wasn’t going to tell her son anything that happened between her and Greg.
Doing the nasty? She wished.
Books by Christine Pauls
To Begin Again:
Birmingham, Alabama, fifteen year old Celeste Stanton’s life revolves around the strict religious upbringing of her aunt Ruby Stanton who has raised her since birth after her mother’s death. Her world consists of church and more church. But when the pastor’s son, Jordon Jackson, confesses his love for her, they become more than just friends.
Belinda's Song:
Belinda lived a troubled life. A mother who sold her body and used heroin, was murdered at the youthful age of twenty-seven, leaving her six year old daughter a ward of the state of Louisiana. Being tossed to and fro from one foster home to the next, Belinda is placed with John and Victoria Brittingham. These people are who any child would be overjoyed to live with and have as parents. A beautiful home, a room of there own, new clothes and toys would be a dream come true. But what lies behind the walls of this house is hardly what little Belinda dreamed of, and she will find out in the worse way, the secrets it harbors.
One Good Thing:
Madelyn, the youngest sibling of the Johnson trio has had it with the elder, Georgina and Nola who left Lula, Mississippi five years ago, moving up north to Harlem, New York with a vision of becoming a jazz singing duo. They’re more than self-centered, leaving their sister with the huge responsibility of handling the affairs of their deceased grandmother, Estelle, as well as their mother Ophelia. This is causing much stress on the young woman and she feels that her life will be no more than it is. That is until the widower, Wilbert Truce comes along. An older man, fifteen years her senior, to be exact and Madelyn believes he is surely too old for her to love. But she’ll soon find out that love has no boundaries and she and Wilbert will embark on a journey filled with one surprise after the next.
love For Granted:
Deion and Adina are young and in love. Their bond is unbreakable. That is until an opportunity arises for Adina that will boost her passion to sing into another atmosphere, kissing her nine to five as a loan officer, goodbye.
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9/19/20
Hi Stephanie, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself?
Thanks for having me.
What were you like at school?
In primary school, I was the quintessential wallflower. I was shy and quiet, but my mind was wild! I was a voracious reader at an early age. My wallfower tendencies followed me to University where I spent my days studying the classics. My nights were spent as a Librairan’s Assistant lovingly shelving those same classics for the next day. In the wee hours I served as a writer for an underground Literary Magazine called Bite the Ribbon.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
My mother knew before I did. I’d try and write the next episode of a television show I liked. In a word, they were awful! My mother read them anyway. When finished, she’d pat my hand and say, “This is nice, Stephanie, but I want to hear your stories. Write your stories your way with your words.’ To this day I follow that advice.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I would love to write full time. My ultimate goal is to see my work on film. The idea of sitting in a room filled with my characters that once lived only in my imagination would be the ultimate for me.
Which writers inspire you?
There are so many. Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Gloria Naylor, Octavia Butler, Naleighna Kai, Cerece Rennie Murphy, Beverly Jenkins, J.L. Campbell, JD Mason Stephen King, Tolkien, Shakespeare, Anais Nin, Lawrence Durrell, James Joyce. Alexander Pope, anything by the Bronte sisters or Mary Shelley and the list goes on. Prose in all of its marvelous forms in my drug of choice.
What have you written so far?
I’ve written and published seven books, and I have an eighth on the way.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment, I am working on the fourth installment of my Diamonds, Blood and Shadows Series. The book is called Season of the Blood.
What’s it about?
‘Everything is for sale. Even the screams.’ Secrets drove gifted surgeon, Olivia Calderone, away from Shadow Bay. Now that she’s come home, will something more sinister be the death of her? Homicide Lieutenant, Gabriel Garrett, is a man well acquainted with shadows and darkness. With the discovery of a mass grave in his hometown that shines a light on an underworld no one realize existed, his second chance with a long lost soulmate hangs in the balance. Will his pursuit of justice restore a love interrupted or will the truth destroy them both?
What genre are your books?
I write Thrillers.
How much research do you do?
I do extensive research when it comes to various crimes right down to the personalities most likely to commit said crimes. Means, mode and opportunity plays a central part in all of my work. I am also a world builder, so I am interested in the types of brine used to pickle herring and the fertilizer used to create or a particular type of produce, poison or flower. (Just don’t ask me to garden. I’m terrible at it.) In addition, I love names, so when I pick a name for a character, the name suits them. I have plenty of baby name websites book marked just for this purpose.
Now, before we end this interview and start sharing some of your work here on my website, do you have any tips on what to do and what not to do while writing a novel?
👍 Read as much as you write. Reading extensively and across genres will give you a better understanding of sentence structure, description, dialog plotting, character arcs etc., Discovering what constitutes good writing is the first step to creating great writing.
👎 What not to do? Stop writing. Get a rejection letter from a publisher? Keep writing. Family isn’t supportive? Keep writing. When you’re tired, frustrated, lonely or scared. Pick up that pen and keep writing. ‘Never stop. Never stop writing until the book is done. Here endeth the lesson.’
Season of the Blood (release date 10/31/20)
Please enjoy this excerpt from my upcoming release "Season of the Blood: Book 4 of the Diamonds, Blood and Shadows Series".
I am not one or the other.
Names are petty and mine never fit no how. Profound and profane is good enough for me.
I am perfect in my otherness, believe that.
Such a simple truth that dogged my steps from the time I was born. Can’t say my parents loved me, you understand. On the outside I resembled every little girl all decked out in barrettes and bows. Under my skirts… well that was another story entirely. Never thought anything was right or wrong with me until the games started with Daddy.
I won’t bore you with the particulars. Spare me the tears and the guilt that passes for sympathy. All you need to know is that by my twelfth birthday Daddy was in the ground and I put him there. Planted him better than any undertaker or gardener. You don’t get to know how I finished him neither. All you need to know is that he died screaming. Made damned sure of that. I even joined him at one point… in screaming that is.
Laughed a little too.
Mamma married again and you’d think she’d trade up. Hearing the grunts and groans and the occasional gag before she bolted to the bathroom served as a marker. What she couldn’t abide, and more or less let slide I was assigned to. To keep the peace…. Hell, maybe to take her place on account of the new baby on the way. Out with the old and in with the new, I guess. Hoped it wasn’t true. Prayed it wasn’t , but then I heard the floor creak and my doorknob turn. You know how the story goes.
Can’t stay anywhere for free.
Frying pan to the fire. Rolled out with the clothes on my back and a sweaty, crumpled five in my pocket. Won’t tell you how I earned that or about my first night’s peace. You see my otherness had its perks and buyers. Some meaner than others, but it was business; nothing personal.
Snuffling back blood and spitting out a tooth or two makes you humble or mean. I chose the latter and had a good run until I didn’t.
That was where she found me. Hair like flames; green eyes like hellfire. Never said a word. Just sat there in an alley that reeked of piss, vomit and my own fear. Sat there as fine as you please on a wooden milk crate next to the pile of garbage I’d been thrown in.
Followed her I don’t remember how many city blocks. It was almost daylight before we got to where she was going. She unlocked the door to an apartment and went in leaving the choice to me.
It is one I will never regret. It’s why I’m here with grey eyes, sagging breasts and a silver beard to match. Filed my teeth down to points and forked my tongue. Can lick many things in many directions and I often do. People think me a monster, and I am. I live, lie and fuck all in equal measure.
Male…female or something else on the menu, I ain’t particular and I don’t discriminate.
I run it all; buy and sell it all. It’s what I am, who I am and what I do.
And I’m good at it. With a shot glass in one hand and a blunt dangling from the corner of my mouth I am the one your Mamma couldn’t conjure in her worse night terror.
But to her…. Not Mamma, you dumb shit. The one that saved my life and straightened my crown of bones. To her I am Blood. I’d kill or die for her and that’s even after I betrayed her.
Diamonds, Blood and Shadows series
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9/11/20
Hi J.S. Cole, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself?
What were you like at school?
I was kind of a procrastinator in school when it came to schoolwork, if we’re talking about high school, I worked all during high school so I didn’t get to be the average teenager who went to all the homecomings and parties.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I never aspired to write a book. I received a phone call from my aunt, author Naleighna Kai, the day after Christmas, and she told me that I was going to write a book. I laughed because I thought she was joking. Nine months later, here we are. She literally asked me some questions related to the background of the lead female character. Then I had her some answers for me and how the plotline and story would go. We turned the chapters I typed on my iPhone—texted to her—is what we used to turn into a book.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
My ambition is to be the best example to my children. Becoming an author is all still very new to me. Maybe one day I will become a great writer. Who knows what the future holds? But I have a Tribe and they’ve all made sure I knew this was a team effort.
Which writers inspire you?
Well, all the of the authors in NK’s Tribe Called Success are inspiring to me. Especially my auntie. There are so many talented people to count on within this this group.
What have you written so far?
Lady of Jeffery Manor co-authored with Naleighna Kai. Some parts of Lady of Jeffery Manor that were taken out to possibly be used in another book.
What are you working on at the moment?
Well at this very moment, I’m working on trying to get settled with my children for remote learning among other things like also taking classes online myself. But as far as writing another book, I’m still working on that. I have another story to tell. The first one came out of the blue, but on this one I just don’t know how to start. Like I said I’m new to all of this so I will still need the proper guidance for writing a good book.
What’s it about?
I’m looking to possibly write about husbands and wives, divorce, betrayal, love, without so much of the happy ending like the one in Lady of Jeffery Manor. Everyday life which is something that I, or other people can relate to. Some aspects of Lady of Jeffery Manor came from my life’s experience and I was able to learn more about my family history that I didn’t know. So, if I write anything else, it would be about something I’ve experienced or in relation to some other experiences that I believe will be of interest.
What genre are your books?
I like to read books with drama, romance, Sleazy Erotica. LOJM is a fictional contemporary romance which I also love. There are people who actually want to fall in love or feel loved. People find pleasure in romance books because romance is what they want. But what I loved about LOJM is that it covered some real-life issues that are happening today.
How much research do you do?
My research comes from my experience, work, life itself and the experience of others. I also use Google, relevant articles, and other things that will help enhance the story.
Now, before we end this interview and start sharing some of your work here on my website, do you have any tips on what to do and what not to do?
Thank you for giving me this opportunity! I definitely don’t have any tips on what not to do. I’m still taking tips on what not to do myself. What I will say is, it does take a village. If someone wants to be a writer, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Learn how to accept constructive criticism even when they go for the jugular. It definitely takes a lot of practice and skills. Inspiration is life, it’s everywhere!
When Blair Swanson, a surgical nurse from the American Midwest, arrives in the Kingdom of Durabia on assignment, she catches the eye of Crown Prince Hassan—one of the realm’s most eligible bachelors. His family has their own plans for an arranged marriage, and she discovers that love can transcend serious obstacles.
Meest recente reacties
25.10 | 02:19
Hi Solsire - happy to see I won the 18+ goody bag. Here is my mailing address:
Deidre Young
8602 Hartwood Place
Laurel, MD 20724
USA
17.10 | 22:50
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